Shock is giving way to anger in Hong Kong after a massive fire ripped through a densely populated subsidised housing estate on Wednesday, killing at least 128 people and critically injuring dozens.
Authorities say substandard mesh and plastic sheets on the buildings' windows may have spread the blaze, which raged for more than a day.
Firefighting operations have now ended, with dozens of residents still unaccounted for.
Questions are mounting as to how the fire at Wang Fuk Court spread so rapidly and who is responsible, with many calling it a 'man-made disaster'.
Three people in charge of renovating the blocks are under arrest for manslaughter, and authorities have launched a corruption inquiry.
A post that has gone viral on social media in the wake of the blaze reads: It's not an accident.\
Residents have revealed that the fire alarm did not sound during the incident. Despite the fire alarms being checked by authorities, they were found to be malfunctioning.
Kiko Ma, who owns an apartment at Wang Fuk Court, claims that poor quality, flammable materials were used in renovations, and that alarms were turned off for construction reasons.
This was preventable... A lot of people did not do their duties, she stated. Concerns about safety were widely discussed among residents prior to the renovation work.
This disaster has turned into Hong Kong's deadliest fire in at least 63 years, surpassing past tragic incidents in the city.
Built in the 1980s, Wang Fuk Court comprises eight 31-storey buildings, now linked to negligence through a rumored history of safety shortcuts during renovations.
As investigations continue, authorities are examining reported safety breaches and failures in the use of fire-resistant materials, with the local government mandating inspections across similar housing estates.
